Get Back in the Game this Spring with Sports Safety Tips

Green fields and warmer temperatures mean spring sports season is upon us. But after months of limited or indoor activity, how do you return to the game you love without injuries?

Baseball, softball, golf and soccer are popular spring sports. And while outdoor exercise is advantageous, these activities do cause many injuries each year, especially among child and teen athletes. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission & Department of Health & Human Services, in 2013:

• There were more than 380,800 baseball-related injuries;
• Approximately 303,000 softball-related injuries;
• Nearly 114,200 golf-related injuries; and,
• Approximately 231,000 soccer injuries. 

Baseball/Softball

The most common baseball and softball injuries involve the soft tissues, such as muscle pulls or strains, ligament injuries (sprains), cuts, contusions and bruises. Although baseball and softball are non-contact sports, most serious injuries are due to contact - either with a ball, bat or another player. Read more baseball and softball tips. 

Golf

Most golf injuries are due to overuse from repeating the same swinging motion. Leading the list of injuries is golfer's elbow, technically known as medial epicondylitis. Golfer's elbow is an inflammation of the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the inside of the bone at your elbow. Also common are lower back injuries caused by poor swing techniques. Read more tips on how to strengthen the back and forearm muscles to prevent golf injuries. 

Soccer:

Sprains and strains are the most common lower extremity injuries in soccer. Cartilage tears and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains in the knee are some of the more common injuries that may require surgery. Other injuries include fractures and contusions from direct blows to the body. Soccer players may also experience shin splints, patellar tendinitis (pain in the knee), and Achilles tendinitis (pain in the back of the ankle). 

Other tips

With any outdoor sports be sure to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated. Also, check your equipment and inspect playing surfaces for needed repairs. 

Baseball Injuries

While America’s favorite pastime is exciting to play, it can also cause some serious injuries.

According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission, more than 627,000 baseball-related injuries are treated every year in hospitals, doctors' offices, and other medical facilities.

The frequent throwing, bat-swinging, and catching high-speed balls involved in baseball can lead to a large variety of sports injuries, both cumulative (from overuse) and acute (from a sudden impact).

With baseball season in full swing, we’ve seen and treated quite a few shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist injuries.

Youth baseball pitching injuries, specifically, are on the rise, despite the implementation of nationally recommended pitching limits, according to a multicenter, national research study.
The American Orthopedic Society for Sports medicine sponsored the study and found the most prevalent reasons for arm pain and tiredness stems from five main causes:

1.      Pitching for more than one team during the same season

2.      Pitching more than one game during the same day

3.      Pitching on back-to-back days

4.      Pitching in a league without pitch counts or playing year-round

5.      Throwing curve balls before high school

Specific injuries include:

SHOULDER:

·         Bursitis

·         Impingement syndrome (inflammation of the tendons of the rotator cuff)

·         Rotator cuff tendonitis

·         Shoulder instability (a loosening of the structures that keep the ball of the shoulder in the socket)

·         Shoulder separation

·         Tendonitis

·         Torn rotator cuff

 

ELBOW:

·         "Little leaguer's elbow" (inflammation on the inner side of the elbow, common in pitchers age 16 and under; also called golfer's elbow or medial epicondylitis)

·         Tennis elbow (inflammation on the outside of the elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis)

·         Medial elbow ligament tears ("Tommy John" surgery)

 

HAND OR WRIST:

·         Finger fractures

·         Bursitis

·         Wrist sprains

·         Wrist tendonitis

·         Tenosynovitis (inflammation tendons on the thumb side of the wrist)

 

Texas Orthopedics wants everyone to enjoy baseball season, so listen to your body to avoid overuse injuries. .

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